Does Anyone Care?
by Kasey Matt
Summary: Amaimon is in an emotional rut and he goes to Mephisto to seek some kind of comfort. But the more Mephisto tries to help his little brother, the worse things get. Will the Demon King's issues push the always calm and collected Mephisto off the edge?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Thoughts Make a Lonely Companion

Amaimon sighed for the thirteenth time that hour. At this point, he was walking just to walk, dragging Behemoth by a chain as he went. He had no idea where he was going, in fact, he didn't even care. Wherever he went, no matter what direction, there was nothing but the sandy wasteland of Gehenna. He hated this place because it was so boring. And quiet. He didn't like the quiet most of all, because it left him at peace to think.

He started wondering about irrational things, like if anyone back in Assiah noticed his disappearance. He immediately thought of his older brother, Mephisto. Well, they got along, and were rather close, but Mephisto was always consumed in his Directorship and other responsibilities. He hardly had time to play with his much-less mature little brother, who lacked an attention span longer than two minutes. Amaimon was also not the only little brother he had. He couldn't expect his elder to take time out of his day to worry over him when he knew he could take care of himself.

At the mention of little brothers, Rin popped into the Demon King's head. He was different. He was practically drowning in people who cared about him. He and Yukio were almost inseparable despite their fights, he had more than one close friend who was all willing to throw their lives away in order to protect him, and he had that girl… What was her name? Shami… shimi… Shiemi! There it was.

A fourteenth sigh left his pale lips.

He focused his gaze on his feet as he treaded through the hot sand, unable to pull himself away from depressing thoughts before he was completely submerged in their venomous waters. He began longing for someone to come looking for him, or at least have some simple conversation involving his name. He cursed the heaviness in his heart. Such human emotions. That Rin kid must have rubbed off on him or something.

Momentarily disgusted by himself, he made a face and kicked a mound of sand, only to slip and fall on his butt. He didn't bother getting back up. He was tired of walking anyways; he had been doing so for quite a few hours now. Behemoth crawled over into his lap and growled a throaty purr as his master rested a hand on his forehead.

"You won't forget about me, right Behemoth?"

The demon gave him a slobbery lick in return and he laughed for the first time in weeks. They sat there in silence for a while, listening to the soft whistles of the wind kicking up the sand, making it hard to see great distances away. A single thought blew into Amaimon's head along with the gales.

_What does Rin have that I don't?_

Amaimon hopped up to his feet, shaking the thought away. The sudden movement startled the demon resting in his lap, who had fallen asleep. And just like that, the Demon King was running down the dunes of sand with new energy, yanking Behemoth along with him. He was going to find a way back to Assiah and find out. Who cares if they didn't like him? He _needed_ to know.

Yes, it was about him. Not the others. He was a selfish demon and that's all he would ever be. Perfectly content with his mind's conclusion, he had no reason to question himself any longer.

-xxx-

The darkness that so comfortingly hugged Amaimon's shape slowly drifted away as he drew near to his destination. He felt a little more than out of place, especially because he had left Behemoth behind for now.

Harsh light engulfed him, causing his green eyes to squint. He had traveled through realms and into Assiah, but he had no idea where exactly he wound up. The fresh scent of cut grass let him know he was somewhere near civilization. That was a good sign. He practically stumbled out into what he found out was a park. Regaining his sight with a hand shading his eyes, he searched for anyone who might be nearby.

It must have been early morning, because there was only one person at the park, and she was sitting on a swing, still and silent. A twinge of remembrance entered the back of the Demon King's head. Short blonde hair, a pink kimono, sandals, and a shy round face. It was Shimi-er Shiemi.

Not entirely sure what he should do, he just did what he always did.

He hung from the bars of the swing set by the back of his knees and came face to face with the girl. He put on a bright smile that really didn't fit him, "Hey there!" He wasn't sure why, but he was actually trying to be nice. Man, there really must be something wrong with him.

The small blond shrieked in surprise at his sudden appearance. Instinctively, she hit him across the face in a defensive movement. His smile faded, but he didn't flinch or even budge at the blow, and she didn't hit all that softly. His face returned to his normal bored expression with barely a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he tried again.

She was about to apologize heavily for her actions, but she apparently realized who he was and fear entered those innocent pale green eyes.

Amaimon expected as much, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

"What do _you_ want?" She asked him with such a bitterness he thought was impossible for a woman as kind of her to harbor.

He sighed. He didn't feel like terrorizing her. He jumped gracefully off the bars and onto his feet, completely ignoring her question. Then he just walked away. Even she noticed he was acting weird and she didn't even know him well.

He guessed he would see what Mephisto was up to, like he always did when he went to Assiah. He plucked a phone from his pocket and dialed for him so he could let him into the school.

-xxx-

"Excuse me?" Mephisto finally looked up at his brother and away from the papers on his desk.

"I said I wasn't hungry," Amaimon repeated. He had been in the Director's office for ten minutes and it was when Amaimon refused his offer of junk-food set aside on the table that he looked at him for the first time in months.

The gentleman of a demon held up a baggie of fried squid, "But I bought you these cute little snackies. How can you be so heartless and ignore your big brother's offerings?" He tried to coax his younger brother out of sheer hopes he'd snap out of it.

The Earth King stayed positioned in a corner of the office, his frame stiff and awkward, as if he really didn't want to be there, but had no other choice but to be. His green eyes were fixed on the ground and he just shook his head at Mephisto's question.

Mephisto's face became serious at this point, "would you like to tell me what's wrong?"

Amaimon sighed for the hundredth time that day, "I wish I knew what was. I can't exactly explain it." He knew part of it involved Mephisto and the fact that he greeted him like he had just seen him yesterday. He knew Mephisto was old and time didn't flow the same to him as Amaimon, so he didn't bother bringing up such a petty concern.

The elder brother added another sigh to the air, "Well, when you figure it out, let me know. Maybe I can help." With that, the Director focused his attention back on his papers, sipping his coffee.

An idea suddenly dawned on Amaimon then. He stepped forward and placed his hands on the desk, "Big brother, you should enroll me here."

This caused Mephisto to spit up his coffee, "w-what the- Where did _that_ come from?!" he demanded.

Amaimon suddenly looked a bit nervous as he rubbed his hands together, "Well, I don't want to become an Exorcist or anything like that. I just want to have classes and be around people my own age."

Mephisto looked at his little brother, pure disbelief painting his face, "You want me to risk getting fired for bringing you here and enrolling you just so you can find out what a social life is?"

Well, when he put it that way, it sounded downright selfish, which only reassured Amaimon he was going on demon instincts, although, he was somewhere in-between denial and depression. He wasn't acting a demon one bit, but his subconscious was convincing him as hard as it could that this was entirely normal.

Normal.

"I just want to be normal, like Rin," Amaimon let the words slip out before he could stop himself. Mephisto almost laughed, "So that's what this is about. You're jealous of little brother's power?"

Amaimon shifted his weight uncomfortably, "It's not necessarily his power I'm jealous of…" The green-haired demon trailed off, not entirely sure where he was going with the conversation.

Realizing he needed a little push, Mephisto prompted him, "Then what are you jealous of? He's certainly not normal, so don't give me that sorry excuse of an answer." The elder watched his brother visibly squirm at the question, as if the words were physically coiling around his body.

After waiting patiently for his response, he was rewarded with a heavy sigh. Amaimon turned and perched at the window, about to jump out and escape when Mephisto called after him, "Where are you going? You're not going to convince me to enroll you that way!"

"Forget it!" Amaimon called back, dropping down and hitting the floor with a hop on his heels before he scampered off.

Mephisto's features twisted in annoyance. He actually wanted to know what had caused his little brother to act like a disturbed teenager. His mentality was usually around the age of six, and Mephisto found him the most entertaining and useful that way.

Amaimon was at a loss of where to go next. He decided he didn't want to leave the school because then he'd have to call Mephisto if he wanted to get back in, and there was no way his older brother would let him weasel out of telling him what was up a second time.

Since classes were already in session, the Demon King didn't have an issue getting around without being seen. After a while, he eventually headed down to a beautiful garden that seemed completely out of place surrounded by the bulky buildings of the academy.

The smells of flowers assaulted his sensitive nose as he hopped over the iron gate, the demon ward tickling as it passed over his skin. It clearly wasn't meant to keep out more than middle level demons. Once on the soft grass, he literally dropped and stretched out like a lazy cat. He watched the clouds as they traveled across the sky, noting a few distinct shapes in their tuffs of fluff just before he yawned.

Now that he was lying down, he noticed the soreness in his feet, and the emotional exhaustion he felt was enough to keep him sluggish for a week. He wasn't used to being more upset than when there were missing food items in Mephisto's fridge. He didn't even realize he was drifting into sleep, until it was too late.

-xxx-

Amaimon awoke to a familiar curious face inches from his. As soon as his eyes opened, the blond squeaked and backed away. A little more than confused, and a lot more than drowsy, the Demon King flipped over onto his stomach, "what're you doing here?" was all he could grumble out with his brain half working.

She blinked at the question, "what do you mean, what am _I_ doing here? This is _my_ garden."

The green-eyed demon yawned and stretched, showing no signs of threat, which surprised Shiemi. Yet, moments ago, she was admiring his sleeping form and how peaceful he looked. She couldn't bring herself to kick him out. Her heart was too big, too forgiving.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," was all he said before he sat up, stretched a final time, and got up to leave.

"You don't have to go," Shiemi said without thinking.

At that, Amaimon froze. He felt an odd warmness tingle within his chest. Being the first time his chest had dared to harbor such a feeling, the Demon King nearly mistook it for a heart-attack and was one second away from panicking. At the last moment, he realized there was no danger and he turned back to face the blonde.

"After what I did to you? You're not afraid I would do something like that again?" he questioned, genuinely confused and equally as curious.

She smiled warmly, "if you were gonna do anything like that, you would have already tried. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Her head turned to the front gate where Rin was running up to, calling her name, followed by Yukio and a few others. When she turned her head back to look at Amaimon, he was already gone. He had left no sign he had been there at all. It was like she had been talking to herself just a moment ago.

**Author's Note:**

**I had previously deleted this story because I didn't like how it was turning it out, but I'm going to stick with it to a certain point and tweak it from there. Anyway, thanks for reading! Reviews welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Play Nice

Amaimon supposed confronting Rin would be the best way to confirm the reasoning behind his current slump, but he found himself avoiding him as if he were Death, himself. There had been several instances involving this pattern of behavior and the Demon King hadn't even considered why he reacted in that manner. There was no way he was afraid of him; what was left of his pride and ego wouldn't allow him to think in such a way.

It was when Amaimon was working up the nerve to confront his little brother that his cell phone rang, successfully alerting Rin of his presence. He cursed Mephisto and his timing just before a flaming blue blade was at his throat. He smiled sheepishly at Rin, who looked anything but happy to see him. "I forgot to put it on vibrate…" he explained, trying to lighten the mood.

Yukio, who had been walking besides Rin, had pointed his guns at the Demon King's head. Well, there goes the hope he would calm his younger twin and keep him from taking any rash action. "What do _you _want?" he practically hissed.

Why did everyone respond to him that way? Amaimon couldn't really blame them; he had broken a few of their friend's bones, not to mention kidnapped Shiemi, and cause Rin to freak out and reveal his identity and almost get executed because of it. Wow, now that he thought about it, he actually _agreed_ that they should hate him.

"I didn't come here to hurt anyone," Amaimon tried, knowing they wouldn't trust his words.

He earned a questioning look from the twins, but their weapons were not lowered. Not even an inch. He suppressed a sigh, mostly because he was getting tired of doing so all the time, and attempted to explain further, "I wanted to apologize."

As soon as that left the Demon King's mouth, Rin and Yukio shared a surprised expression. Rin lowered his sword first and sheathed it, the blue flames disappearing from his body. Yukio was more hesitant, being the more cautious one of the two.

"What made you want to do that?" Rin asked curiously, momentarily forgetting their past. It had been over three months since, but that didn't mean Rin could forgive him so easily.

Amaimon shrugged and mumbled something in response. Why did everyone have to ask such hard questions? He was just as confused about his own behavior as everyone else.

Seeing that the Earth King's eyes were fixated on the floor and seemed genuinely embarrassed about the circumstances of their meeting, Rin relaxed fully and gestured Yukio to do the same. Rin was rather understanding, especially when it came to other demons, so he allowed the hostility to slip, if only momentarily.

"You've been gone awhile," Rin commented, aware that his question wasn't likely to be answered.

Amaimon's green eyes flickered up, the dark forest swirling within the depths of his irises momentarily brightened, revealing how beautiful the foliage could be if taken care of just the right way. "You noticed?" was the best he could think of to say.

Rin's signature smile lit up his face, "of course! It suddenly got much more peaceful, and kinda quiet, but-" Yukio elbowed him in the ribs, noticing the Demon King's expression deflate.

Amaimon couldn't help but sigh this time, but what was he expecting? He wasn't exactly the nicest person. _But… Maybe if I was nicer, people would start caring?_ The thought kind of appalled him. A demon being nice? How weird was that? Then again, Mephisto was always acting a gentleman.

He noticed he was staring at one such 'nice' demon that seemed to fit in well. _Rin doesn't count_, he quickly concluded, _he was born in Assiah and raised by humans. He practically is one._

The only reason he had been moderately nice to others lately was because he lacked the drive to be mean. Actually, he lacked the drive to do most things, like eat, or make himself threatening.

Realizing he wasn't really getting anywhere with the twins, he just walked off. Neither of them tried to stop him, mostly because his attitude had really confused them. They decided it was best to let it go, for now.

-xxx-

Amaimon had just stepped out of the demon ward that covered the school when he pulled his phone out to call Mephisto back. Might as well. Big brother wasn't fond of being ignored and he didn't feel like pissing him off today. He waited patiently as the rings murmured into his ear.

One.

Two.

"Yellow?" came Mephisto's casual chime. The ring never got to the third time, not ever.

"You called?"

"I did. And you should have answered. Instead, you made your big brother worry." Mephisto's tone changed to have a threatening undertone, as if to say 'you ignore my phone calls again and we're going to have a problem.'

Hidden message received, Amaimon gave a small sigh, "Sorry…"

"You really need to stop that. Hearing you apologize for such petty things is really starting to get annoying. And don't you dare say 'sorry.'"

Before Amaimon could come up with an answer, a forceful hand shoved him backwards into the academy's ward causing him to drop the phone. Stinging hot pain rippled through out his body as his back hit the force field. He couldn't help but scream out of shock as well as pain. Mephisto's barriers weren't merciful to any demon.

The culprit, the King of Rot, a demon who had short white hair and a tan complexion, showed a toothy grin, "It sure took you forever to leave that accursed building." His pointed black tail flicked from side to side as he reveled in Amaimon's pain.

Amaimon fell forward on his hands and knees as he recovered. He was still for a second before he slowly got to his feet and casually walked over to retrieve his fallen phone. "I'm not in the mood today," he told him as if he were simply refusing playtime.

The King of Earth and the King of Rot often fought each other, but Amaimon always beat him within an inch of his life. Apparently, he never learned his lesson and pursued him when he left Gehenna.

Astaroth's expression soured, "what do you mean you're 'not in the mood'?" He slammed a fist into Amaimon's face, causing his head to snap to the right.

Amaimon sighed as blood trickled from his forehead and down his face. It didn't seem like the Rot King was going to relent. He was way too stubborn for that. Not to mention his hatred for Amaimon as a rival was immense.

When the Earth King again made no signs of returning his aggression, the snow-haired demon pulled him down, slamming a knee into his stomach. When a pleasing gagging sound was heard from his victim, he threw him into a nearby building, smashing its bricks into pieces. Just as Amaimon was about to pick himself up again, the King of Rot came over and clamped a hand around his throat.

"What are you doing, little brother?" Mephisto's voice was heard, calm and collected, although there might have been a small trace of annoyance in his tone, "I don't suppose now would be the time to tell me what's going on with you?"

"Yeah… I guess i-it could be…" Amaimon choked out against his attacker's hold.

"Shut up!" the Rot King hissed and threw the Earth King yet again, this time just into the ground.

"Now why are you letting this weakling push you around?" Mephisto asked his brother, completely ignoring the third party. He was standing safely behind the True Cross barrier, but he wasn't afraid in the least. He just wanted his little brother to deal with his own problems.

Now the King of Rot was simply beating Amaimon with a heavy boot as he lay on his stomach.

"I guess," he paused at a kick to his ribs, "it's because I don't-"

SMACK.

"feel like it and maybe-"

WHAM.

"I don't feel like it because-"

SLAM.

"I'm tired of the same old things. It's been so boring lately. I mean, what's the point of living for so long when no one cares if you're around or not?" Amaimon confessed, noticing the blows had ceased.

Astaroth had spotted a fluffy piece of something poking out from Amaimon's pants. "So you do have a tail!" he exclaimed as he yanked it out. Hard. Amaimon screamed for the second time as he was engulfed in unexpected pain.

That was the last straw for Mephisto. He was hoping he could convince his brother to deal with the pest himself, but after witnessing such an uncivil act as that, he gave up on the idea. Casually, he walked out of his ward, removing one of his gloves.

Before the Rot King could make a threat, Mephisto backhanded the weaker demon, sending him flying far into the trees nearby. With that done, he replaced his glove and scooped up his beaten brother.

When they were back inside the ward, the elder brother made a rather annoyed expression, "how could you force your big brother into doing something so ungentlemanly like participate in physical violence?"

Amaimon didn't respond; he was busy catching his breath.

"Oh and by the way, you're grounded."

The little brother blinked at this, "w-what?"

"You heard me. You aren't allowed to leave my sight, let alone my school."

The Earth King made a displeased face, "but big brother-"

"No buts," Mephisto denied firmly.

Without any other signs of argument, he carried his younger brother back into the building to tend to the damage done to his body.

-xxx-

"I don't think it's supposed to bend that way," Mephisto commented, examining his little brother's tail which was making almost a ninety degree angle. It looked like Rin's, only dark green with a lighter green towards the end, similar to the owner's hair color. "I'm going to have to snap it back into place so it can heal properly," the Director concluded.

Amaimon, who was sitting on Mephisto's bed in his private quarters, looked warily at his brother. "Please don't," he nearly begged, knowing fully that it had to be done and there was no way of changing his brother's mind.

Mephisto gripped the green appendage firmly, "what was that about no one cares about you? Did you forget, or am I just someone to bother all day? You insult me, baby brother."

Amaimon's green eyes widened, _oh grea_t, he thought sarcastically, _he's actually enjoying this._

The Director took the other end of the Earth King's tail, "no response? Fine, then." With a swift yank, he snapped the tail back into a reasonable position. Amaimon squealed and clamped his teeth into his lip to stop himself from letting a long stream of inappropriate words leave his mouth. His eyes watered and Mephisto began to make a little bandage around the broken limb, to keep it in place. All the while, Amaimon couldn't withhold his whimpers.

"Would you quit?" Mephisto snapped, "If you hadn't broken it in the first place, I wouldn't be here happily torturing you." When no response came, he continued, allowing his growing concern for the Demon King to show, if only a little. "First you refuse to eat, then you ask to be enrolled here, and now you refuse to fight back when someone is beating you into the ground? I think you've earned a metal for acting the most uncharacteristically in one day."

Amaimon couldn't think of how to explain his own behavior; all he had were clues. Little feelings here and there attached to a certain activity or person that gave him a small direction to go on in the enormous labyrinth that was his feelings. Maybe if he had experienced complex feelings before, it wouldn't be so difficult to decipher. But no, he had been leaning to a toddler's pattern of emotions before this. Playing, joking, and messing with everyone, eating, destroying, and toying with everything. He wished he could just go back to it. It was certainly a lot simpler and much less confusing.

"I'll let you enroll if that's what you really want," Mephisto's voice snapped him out of his troubling thoughts. The morbid feeling was immediately replaced with shocked surprise. "R-really?" he sputtered, unsure of whether he was more excited or nervous. He received a small nod from his big brother, "it'll preoccupy you while allowing me to keep a close eye on you as well."

Unsure of what to say next, Amaimon just smiled a rare, unforced smile at the Director. Mephisto just watched him with fond golden eyes, deciding that it would be worth the risk to ensure his brother's happiness. Maybe. He had been surprising himself with his own actions lately, as if Amaimon infected him with his own confusion like a disease. From participating in a violent act earlier, to allowing the Earth King to become a student in Cram School and jeopardizing his Directorship just so the boy could stop moping around. It seemed the more weakness Amaimon let show, the more Mephisto felt the need to take measures to protect him. He cursed his own big-brotherly instincts and Amaimon for slowly bringing it out in him.

-xxx-

Mephisto sat at his desk in his office, his fingers laced together in front of his mouth, and his elbows resting on the wooden piece of furniture. He stared at the woman in front of him, who actually bothered to put some decent clothes on today. He didn't really care to ask why; it seemed like everyone has been acting out of their personality lately. The madness of it all threatened to put him in a bad mood, but he tried his best to relax and keep it from fazing him.

"You want me to watch _another_ one of your little brothers for you?" Shura asked, her tone on the borderline of irritated and surprised.

Mephisto shook his head at this, "no, this is nothing like mentoring Rin. I'll be around most of the time to watch him, but I _am_ the Director of this school. I have things to do. I can't watch him constantly. I just want you to keep an eye out for him, make sure he doesn't get into trouble."

Shura cocked a thin eyebrow at him, "are you sure letting him in Cram School will be a good idea? After all, he's done-"

Mephisto raised a hand for her silence, "Are you accepting or not?"

"I can't help but find it odd that you would ask such a thing from me."

"I have limited personnel to go to."

The redhead scoffed at this, "if I don't have to wipe the boy's nose, I guess it's not too much trouble."

Noticing she still sounded reluctant, the Director added, "You can report to me if he starts acting up, and I will have him removed immediately. And…" his features darkened into a devilish grin of mischief, "if you did this for me, it would mean _I_ would owe _you_ a favor."

Now that was interesting.

An amused smile crossed her lips, "And I'm guessing you want me to make sure everyone is hush-hush about his attendance there? Hm, I don't know, I think that calls for two favors you would owe me."

Mephisto snorted, his patience running low after such an eventful day, "you're pushing it, Kirigakure."

She crossed her arms, "I don't know if I am. I mean, I _could _just go report to the Council about your little plan and have you lose _everything_."

Golden yellow eyes narrowed at her, "you wouldn't survive long enough to have an audience with them. I assure you."

Shura gave him a pouty face, "oh, what's gotten you so grumpy? I was just messing with you!"

He waved her away, "just get out of my sight. We're done with this conversation."

She huffed and turned to leave, "that's one favor you owe me, and don't you forget it!"

Mephisto let a weary sigh relax his chest when she left and slammed his door just to piss him off. He rubbed his temples, massaging away an oncoming headache. It had been a _long_ day. And he doubted tomorrow would be any less stressful.

-xxx-

"I know you might not be in the best graces, but be nice!" Shura chided to everyone in the Cram classroom. She wanted to give them a heads up before she let Amaimon into the room knowing very well that everyone would flip out.

Yukio, who was drinking his morning coffee nearly spit it everywhere, "you _agree_ he should be in here?"

She shrugged, "you already have one demon in your classroom, why not add another?"

"Is this some kind of JOKE?!" Suguro growled as he stood from his desk, "I will NOT sit here with that THING and act like NOTHING happened!"

Shima nodded, although he didn't seem too bothered by it, "he's got a point. Broccoli-head did put a few of us in the hospital."

Konekomaru shivered, his voice cracking with obvious fear, "yeah… he's far too powerful to be controlled. What if he loses his tempter and kills one of us?"

Rin was surprised that Koneko's words reminded him strongly of what he had said when he was still afraid of him. And from what he had seen from Amaimon yesterday, he actually doubted the Demon King would try anything. The chain of thoughts astonished him further.

She waved her hands impatiently, "calm down, all of you! I know it's not the smartest or safest idea, but we gotta at least let him try. I'll be here to make sure he doesn't harm any of you, so don't worry so much."

"I don't care what you think!" Ryuji snarled, "You bring him in here and I'm going to pummel him!"

That's when Shiemi got up and tugged on his arm, "Don't be so mean! Please, let him try! He might actually become a good person like Rin!"

Suguro looked down at the blonde, his anger simmering down to dull irritation. He knew Shiemi had a big heart, but this just proved his belief ten-times over. Even though he knew that this leap of faith wouldn't have much chance to pay off, he couldn't say no to that innocent face. Hell, if she could forgive him, why couldn't he?

"Fine," he allowed finally, "but if he even looks at me funny, there's going to be an issue."

-xxx-

"Hey-o!" Amaimon greeted with two fingers up, making a peace sign as he entered the classroom. He was wearing a school uniform that was two sizes too big, which made his small and skinny form, look even more so. The tie hung a bit too loosely around his neck and the jacket sleeves easily covered his hands. He was constantly fidgeting with it, pulling them up so he could free his hands, which were still warmed by the green fingerless gloves he refused to remove. But what caught everyone's attention the most, was the fact that his tail was showing, trailing limp and bandaged behind him as he made his way to an empty desk in the back corner.

When no one answered his greeting, his expression settled back into that blank and vaguely bored look as he sat down. Not only did no one say anything, they wouldn't stop looking at him. Even the teacher was giving him a stare down. Rubbing his hands together nervously, he waited patiently for class to start.

It took Yukio a few minutes, but he managed to start teaching as if nothing was different. He began a lesson about holy water grenades and how they were manufactured. He only started slowing down when he noticed Amaimon was not only paying attention, but he was looking at him incredibly closely, watching absolutely everything he did. This freaked him out just a little. Those wide, green eyes examining every move he made, every word his said, and every breath he took. He tried his best to ignore it, but man was it _creepy!_ Did he even blink?! He hardly even moved since he started his lecture! He was like a statue!

Shima glanced at the Demon King (who had chosen the desk to the right of him) every now and then for about twenty minutes before he whispered, "Hey, Broccoli-head!"

Amaimon didn't move; his eyes only flickered to the pink-haired boy to show he'd successfully gotten his attention.

Yukio didn't show it, but a huge wave of relief washed over him when the Earth King's eyes shifted away from him.

"I didn't know you had a tail!" Shima continued, obviously extremely bored of the lesson to be concerned with the subject.

Amaimon looked down at his dark green lion-like tail and made an unreadable expression that included a blush, "please don't look at it…"

Shima smirked at this, "what? Don't tell me you're embarrassed! Okumura shows his all the time now!"

Amaimon shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "I only have it out because it's broken, and if I hide it, it won't heal properly."

Shima blinked, new curiosity filling his orangey hazel irises, "How did ya break it?"

Amaimon was becoming increasingly nervous as his new classmate associated more and more with him. He had to admit, he wasn't used to making friends, and he had no idea how to socialize properly. His breaths became quicker and quicker as he looked at Shima, who was waiting patiently for an answer. How could he act so casual towards him? Was he just trying to mess with him by faking interest? Was it all a plan to humiliate him in the end? To trick him into thinking he had a friend just before he double-crossed him? It had to be. There was no way he had forgiven him just like that.

"Hey, are you alright?" came said human's concerned voice, which made Amaimon jump slightly. It was then that he realized his long red nails were carving into the face of his desk, his body was incredibly tense, and his heart was racing and hurting, like he was about to have a panic attack. What didn't help was that everyone was staring at him now, so very closely, as if waiting for him to snap.

He had to leave.

He had to get out.

Right now.

He sprung from his desk so suddenly, that it startled every single person in the room, including Ryuji. He wasted no time rushing out the door, successfully escaping their judgmental eyes. He felt like he were going to puke, and didn't completely understand why.

He knew if he came back to Mephisto now, he would get a long disapproving lecture about how he shouldn't ask for favors if he was just going to mess them up. But, he also couldn't leave the school. Apparently, he was still 'grounded' and besides, the King of Rot was probably waiting for him to come out again. He severely doubted his rival had anything better to do. He settled with going out on some rooftop to calm down and work up the nerve to decide whether or not to return to the classroom.

**Author's Note:**

**I have been combining chapters to make them longer, as you might have noticed. I'll probably do so with future chapters as well. Thanks for reading and review if you liked it! If you didn't like it, oh well. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Friends

Mephisto walked into his office and immediately halted. His eyebrow twitched at the sight. Amaimon was lying on his back on his big brother's desk, an arm over his face. Normally, he wouldn't mind, but it was the fact that he was _crushing_ very important papers the gentleman had previously left there.

"Amaimon," he addressed his little brother calmly, "what are you doing?"

The Demon King sighed dramatically, "dying…"

Mephisto pinched the bridge of his nose, "you will be soon if you don't get off my desk. Now what's the matter? Why aren't you in school?"

"Everyone hates me…" Amaimon said a little more seriously and a lot more softly.

The elder of the two pushed the Earth King onto the floor, "what am I? Invisible? Jeez, I would think you would appreciate me more."

Amaimon landed with an 'oof' on his stomach, "you don't count Big Brother… I want friends… we're related."

The Director took his seat and rested his boots on his little brother's back, "just because we're related doesn't mean I can't hate you."

The Demon King had retreated to his brother's office when a school bell had rung. He didn't want to risk being seen by anyone other than a Cram student. That would have ruined just about everything and then some.

"I know," Amaimon answered finally, "C'mon, Big Brother, I lov-"

"Gah!" Mephisto interrupted, clasping his hands over his ears in a childish way that didn't fit him at all, "please don't say the 'L' word. I thought we agreed not to say it ever!"

Amaimon couldn't help but chuckle at the elder's display.

Things were silent for a bit as Mephisto scanned through his papers to check which ones had been crumpled and which ones he _actually cared_ had been crumpled. After five minutes of doing so, he broke the silence with, "You know you could have made friends with that frilly pink boy. He was being nice. You were the one who freaked on him."

Amaimon blinked, not bothering to move from his position; it was oddly comfortable. "_You _are calling someone else frilly? And how did you know what happened?"

Mephisto huffed, "Watch what you say!" He pressed his heels into the Earth King's back, earning a pained grunt from the younger demon. "I know what happened because Big Brother knows all. But I didn't expect you'd be so socially challenged."

"Hm," was Amaimon's only response to this.

"Then again, it was sloppy of me not to have predicted such…" the Director sighed into his hands. He rubbed his face tiredly, it was not even noon yet and he was already exhausted. Somehow, Amaimon had managed to make him feel several hundred years older.

Surprisingly, Amaimon only spent about ten minutes there, before he headed back to class. Mephisto had surely thought he would need a good long speech before such an event was possible.

-xxx-

"Yo, Broccoli-head is back!" Shima chirped excitedly as the Demon King came up to the arena where the next class was being held.

This class was solely about demon taming and usually taught by Neuhaus, but he was nowhere to be found. In his stead, some Exorcist named Todo was running the class. He seemed nice enough, but when Amaimon came in, he showed a particular interest in him. It wasn't the good kind either; it was the creepy, obsessive look someone insane would give to someone else before slaughtering them.

Amaimon was too busy pushing down his nerves to notice. "Hi…sorry I'm late…" he answered Renzo slowly, somehow managing to come off as bored and not shy.

The students were working on their rune circles to summon their demons, or those who could anyway. Today's lesson was about summoning higher levels of demon and keeping them in line. Izumo had already summoned hers, a two-tailed white fox; she was currently basking in the praise she received.

Konekomaru pulled Shima by the arm, away from what he thought was passed Amaimon's hearing limit. "How can you act like that toward him?" Koneko inquired in an urgent whisper.

Shima shrugged, "I know he did some crappy things to us in the past, but… I dunno, he seems different now."

The monk shook his head in frustration, "and that's enough for you! He's a monster!"

Shima put a reassuring hand on the shorter boy's shoulder, "you worry _way _too much, Neko. Look, I was right about Rin, why can't I be right again?"

"This time is different! You have to stop hanging around him, or you'll get hurt! You saw how he broke my arm with just a tap! If he even pokes you-"

"Hey, hey. Calm down," Shima interrupted, scratching the back of his head. "I'll be fine, but you do realize he's a demon that can probably hear everything we're saying, right?"

Konekomaru's face suddenly twisted into a look of astonishment and he opened his mouth to respond, but no words escaped.

"I thought not," Renzo concluded with a small smile.

Amaimon sighed the conversation away from his thoughts and summoned his best friend. "Behemoth!" He called excitedly as the beast jumped into his arms, successfully knocking him down. He laughed at the green scaly creature that was licking him to death. "You missed me didn't you!?"

As a demon, he could hear Behemoth's thoughts, and so he began a full-out conversation with the beast, which looked one-sided to everyone else. "Oh really?" Amaimon laughed, "That's hilarious!"

Suguro shot him a glare, "you're talking to that thing? What a freak-"

"That was too funny!" Rin laughed with Amaimon at Behemoth's apparent joke.

Ryuji's eyebrows shot up, "you, too?!"

Shima smirked, "that's right, aren't you two like brothers, or something?"

Rin wiped a tear from his eye, "I wouldn't call us brothers, but we're related I guess."

Icy cold shot through the Demon King's veins at that comment. His good mood was slammed in the face with a sledge hammer and he was again tossed into the confusing labyrinth that was his emotions. He froze completely, trying to figure out why he would feel this upset over something like that. Why should he even care? It wasn't like they were raised together like he and Mephisto had been. He shouldn't expect any fond feelings to be shared between them. Yet, it bothered him, to say the least. Maybe he could fix that like he was trying to fix everything else? There was one thing he knew for sure; it wasn't going to be easy. Not after considering Amaimon had caused the most damage to him.

Behemoth whimpered, sensing his master's change in mood. The Earth King allowed himself a small smile as he patted his head. But, maybe he wasn't too far gone? Maybe it wasn't too late? Yes, there was something like hope that shimmered in his heart.

-xxx-

Lunch break came around, and Amaimon sat alone at a table that was furthest from everyone else. He wouldn't admit it, but he was way too nervous to try and sit with anyone, whether they seemed to approve of him or not. He had quite the fear of rejection coiled up inside his gut at the thought. Or was that hunger?

His stomach growled angrily, having been ignored since yesterday. The Demon King sighed, realizing he hadn't brought money for lunch. He rested his arms on the table and put his head down. He'd just wait it out.

That became increasingly difficult the more the smell of food seeped into his nose, especially when Rin opened his lunch. Just when all hope was lost, Amaimon heard the taps of tiny paws against the tile floor.

He looked up to see a small dog coming towards him. The dog trotted in such a way, so dignified, yet stuck-up, that the Earth King couldn't mistake him for anyone other than Mephisto. He was carrying a pouch in his mouth; its contents containing a lunch for his brother, most likely made by his own hands. Mephisto hopped onto the seat across from Amaimon and pushed the package his way.

The Demon King couldn't help but let an amused smirk cross his face, "you made me lunch, Big Brother? How sweet."

The dog shot him a glare, but it was quickly replaced with a look of interest when Shima plopped down next to Amaimon. "Hey, Broccoli-head," he greeted. Mephisto let out a bark that sounded similar to laughter at hearing such a nickname for his baby brother.

Amaimon couldn't even calm his nerves enough to send the dog a dirty look. Freaking out like this was exhausting; he hoped it didn't last much longer.

"Whatcha get?" Renzo asked, pointing at the pale lunch pouch.

Amaimon opened it up, "I don't know, but… If its Big Brother's cooking, it'll burn my tongue off."

He amused at this, "it can't be that bad."

The Demon King pushed the box of curry to his new friend, "you're welcome to try it."

"You're on," Shima took a scoop of the offensive concoction and shoveled it into his mouth.

His nervousness momentarily forgotten, Amaimon watched as his friend's face turned as pink as his hair, and then darken further to a deep shade of red. He couldn't help but giggle out an "I told you so."

Renzo swallowed with much effort, beads of sweat dotting his face. "Holy hell!" he breathed, "what IS that crap?! It took all I had not to spit it out!" His comments only made the Demon King laugh harder.

The look on Mephisto's face was what topped it all off. The pooch did not look amused whatsoever. His droopy eyes were staring daggers into them both.

Shima was too busy drowning himself with his water bottle to notice, but when Amaimon saw it, he laughed to the point that a soft nasally sound escaped him. The Earth King's hands flew up to cover his nose and mouth, a blush working its way into his pale cheeks.

The table went dead silent for a whole second before Renzo started to laugh, "Did you just snort?"

In truth, Amaimon hadn't laughed that hard since he and Mephisto were incredibly young and carefree. So this was something he wasn't aware he was capable of. He shook his head in denial as he tried to fend off his own embarrassment.

"You totally did!" Shima exclaimed, making the Demon King flush worse.

Lunch went on like that, as well as the rest of the school day. Renzo was finding ways to make Amaimon laugh so he would snort again, while the Demon King got him back when he found out about his new friend's fear of insects.

-xxx-

A couple of days went by, consisting of Amaimon sitting in the back of the classroom whispering with Shima and getting in trouble with Yukio, Suguro ranting about how he shouldn't be in Cram school, and keeping Mephisto up all night due to his own insomnia.

It was the third day that everyone went out on a fieldtrip to Mephisto Land. Supposedly, there was some demon harassing visitors and chasing them away. This was Amaimon's first mission, so of course, those pesky nerves were rumbling inside him yet again.

"As before, we'll split up into groups of two to cover more ground," Yukio instructed at the gate.

Sideways glances were shared between the group and a few murmurs as he began pairing people off and assigning sectors. Amaimon glanced around anxiously; he hoped he would get paired with Renzo, then, things would be way easier. But that was highly unlikely.

"Izumo and Renzo," the instructor called. Oh, well there went that small shimmer of hope. The pink-locked man smirked widely as he hopped off after his partner. It was obvious he was going to flirt, and she was going to completely turn him down every time. That was another thing Amaimon couldn't wrap his mind around; affection. He was barely starting to understand friendship, so thinking of relationships just made his head hurt.

Emerald eyes looked over those who were left to be picked. He wouldn't mind being put with Shiemi. She had been relatively nice to him despite punching him in the face that one time.

"I'll be pairing with Rin," Yukio continued. Oh thank goodness. If the Demon King had been stuck with him… it would be the worst… Or so, he had thought.

"Amaimon and Suguro."

_Wait, huh?_

The Earth King blinked and bent forward to see Ryuji glaring daggers into him down the line of students.

_Oh no._

**Author's Note:**

**Interested yet? See you for Chapter Four! Thanks for reading! Review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Resistance

"You'd better not try anything," Ryuji warned, as the pair made their way into a vacant part of the amusement park. The Demon King walked with his hands in his pockets and his gaze on the ground.

"I'm not…" He replied meekly, not convincing Suguro in the slightest.

"I still don't get why you're here. I understand Okumura because he's sort of human. But, you-" he gave Amaimon a harsh once-over full of disgust, "you're walking around in someone else's body right now."

The Earth King huffed a little; this one was actually starting to irritate him. He got that he didn't like him, he understood he didn't trust him, and he knew that he never would. But, damn it all, if he would just stop clawing at him for one second.

"This body is nearly one thousand years old. Its host would have died long ago," the Demon King justified.

Bon didn't take Amaimon's comeback kindly; his eyes narrowed and his lip curled with distaste, "That hardly matters. You're still a filthy demon, and that's all you'll ever be. Its aggravating watching you try to be human."

Amaimon stopped in his tracks then, gazing at the golden statue of Mephisto. There was something under his irritation now. He shifted his weight a little as he took a second to decipher it. These words hurt like weapons. Those looks crippled him like poison. The hell was going on? He'd heard many harsh words against him in the past, but they had only infuriated him. It was simple. Someone pissed him off, someone was getting killed. However, the lack of anger took him by surprise. It made him uncomfortable and weak, and he didn't like weakness. He was Amaimon, King of Earth, Seventh son in the royal family of Baal. What was he doing letting a mere mortal trash talk him?

His features immediately hardened, serpent green eyes narrowing, "You know, it's not very nice to talk to people that way." Even his posture, and the way he held himself had changed drastically. He was rigid and tense, as if holding himself back.

Suguro didn't seem to notice at first. "I would hardly call you a person," he spat back.

Amaimon grit his teeth and snatched his temporary partner's collar, "I wish you'd just shut up." The lack of anger in his voice was familiar, Ryuji noticed, just as it was back then, when he had been nothing but a heartless demon.

"Why? Am I hurting your feelings?" He retorted without hesitation. The triumphant 'tch' that escaped Bon's mouth afterwards was what made Amaimon stop and think.

He had expected this. He was waiting for this. Waiting for Amaimon to drop the act and give in to his demonic nature. Pushing him harder and harder until he broke his innocence. This was a test. Suguro wasn't stupid; he was going to make sure Amaimon had really changed before he ever tried to trust him. And that meant pushing him to his limits by grating down his patience.

It was true, a demon's nature is violent and selfish, but, so is mankind's. And like humans, Amaimon can push it away; decide to be a better person. But hell if it wasn't hard after centuries of giving into it. Every now and again, he'd feel it creep back up into his heart, and seep into his mind. Like right now.

_Why don't you just kill him?_

_It'll be so easy._

_He looks at you and sees weakness._

_Show him he's wrong._

These dark thoughts flittered though the Demon King's head for a mere few seconds before his shoulders sagged and he let his hand fall to his side. His gaze on the floor, he replied to Suguro's earliest comment, "yes…"

He wasn't going to ruin what he had here. What he had been trying so desperately to achieve these past few days. Acceptance. Yeah, he could kill Bon with a flick of his wrist, but what would be the point of that? Yeah, it would make his demonic side ecstatic, but after it ebbed? Then, he'd get kicked out of the school, Shima would hate him, and he'd probably get that disappointed look from Mephisto.

Ryuji blinked excessively a few times in astonishment. He obviously hadn't expected the Earth King to back down like that.

Well that was insulting.

"I do have self control, you know," the green-headed demon informed him in a matter-of-fact tone while dusting off his clothes as if they had somehow collected dust during the couple of minutes he had been standing there. He held his head high, as if he was suddenly appalled at the idea Suguro thought he would resort to violence. He tried not to smile at how Mephisto-ish he was acting.

Witnessing that Ryuji was still in a sort of shock, Amaimon prompted him forward with a gentle push as if nothing had transpired, "come on, Bon. We gotta find that demon!"

This seemed to rouse him back to life, "don't touch me and don't call me Bon!" He huffed angrily, but the Demon King couldn't help but feel as if he'd just won the fight despite being the one who had backed down.

-xxx-

Mephisto rubbed his heavy eyes. It was only nine and he felt like turning in for the day, or maybe the week. He sipped his Mephisto-pink mug full of coffee, letting the sweet succulent wake-up juice aid him in his quest of staying awake and alert. It helped, but not as much as he would have liked. He cursed his little brother for keeping him up most of the night. I mean, really. How hard was it to lie in one place and be quiet?

Apparently it was impossible for Amaimon, because he wouldn't shut up for the longest time, rambling all about his new pinkie friend. And when he was done with that and Mephisto had finally fallen asleep, he was awoken several times by the loud crackling of snack bags Amaimon would tear open, or his rage quitting on several different video games.

The thing that baffled Mephisto the most was that he lived in a _mansion_. Amaimon could get lost in it five different ways if he wasn't so glued to his older brother's side. Why he couldn't do all those annoying things somewhere farther from the Director's bedroom, he had no idea. He had several temptations to just throw the boy into a giant coo-coo clock and be done with it. But then he had to remember, at the last minute, how his little brother had been so sullen when he had first returned from Gehenna.

He practically growled in annoyance as his cell phone began to vibrate wildly on his desk. That was about the fifth call he'd had in twenty minutes. He snatched it up and held it to his face, "What!?"

"Well, good morning sunshine," a sarcastic female voice greeted him.

"Yes, yes, what is it? I'm very busy," he continued abruptly, obviously falling prey to the crankiness that lack of sleep came with. He really wasn't all that busy. He just found Shura's voice highly irritating and wanted to get off the phone as soon as possible.

"I just wanted to warn you. Be a good friend and all that. But if you wanna talk to your friends all rude like, I guess I won't."

This piqued his curiosity just enough to temporarily forget about his desperate longing to sleep, "wait, warn me about what?"

"The Paladin is coming to the Japanese Branch for an evaluation."

This made Mephisto squeeze his coffee mug a bit too tightly, threatening it to shatter just before he thought better of it and let go. "Angel… is coming here? For how long?" The Director's eyebrow twitched. He could just imagine the blonde's annoying voice boasting all kinds of rubbish about how great he was.

"Hm. It's a pretty thorough evaluation. He's going to be checkin' the building for safety measures, listening in on cram classes, those sorts of things. So yeah, at least a few days. He apparently has nothing better to do."

"Other than spy on me."

"Well, if you stopped hidin' crap, you wouldn't be so stressed out."

"I'm not stressed out. I can handle a few days of his insufferable banter."

"Oh, and did I mention he was going to stay with you?"

Mephisto's voice hardened into ice cold stone, "I'd rather exorcise myself."

Soft laughter from the other end indicated she had not caught on to how serious the Director was. That stuck-up justice-loving brat was definitely _not_ sleeping in the same building as him.

"I'm serious," Mephisto added, raising his mug to his lips.

"Oh, come on, Mephy. He ain't _that_ bad."

The Director mocked a gagging sound, "Please don't ever call me that again."

"Psh. Well, don't worry about the kid. He can stay with Shima so you don't get found out."

A sharp exhale left the gentleman's chest, "Fine. Whatever. I'll look suspicious if I make him sleep anywhere else."

"Glad you came to."

Mephisto didn't waste much time after that smashing the 'end call' button. This week just keeps getting better and better. He chugged down the rest of his coffee (he was going to need all the caffeine he could get), and shoved himself up from his office chair just in time to look out the window and see a white limo pull up. His face soured. The idiotic blonde always had such impeccable timing.

-xxx-

The Demon King and his partner searched the abandoned fair grounds in utmost silence. It was awkward, to say the least. However, Amaimon wasn't going to complain, because it seemed that every time Suguro opened his mouth, something pissy or negative would spew out.

He was surprised when the silence faltered and Ryuji sounded genuinely curious, "So you and Shima get along?"

It was obvious he was fishing for something to talk about that didn't involve the Earth King's heritage, but it was nice in itself that he was simply _trying_ to have a peaceful conversation for once.

Amaimon hummed thoughtfully, "I guess so. I mean, he doesn't seem to mind who I am, which is kind of nice. For some reason, he forgives me, and I appreciate it. I don't think I deserve it, but I think that's why he did it."

"A simple 'yes' would have been good," Bon responded gruffly, hiding the fact that he was actually satisfied with his answer. Shima had always been that type; he saw the good in people, even when it seemed they didn't have any.

The Demon King ignored Bon's slightly grumpy reply and continued, "I just really don't want to mess that up, you know?" He left it at that, his green eyes alighting briefly with determination. He admitted he had been doing pretty well so far, but it had only been a few days.

He only received a snort from Ryuji before he suddenly stopped in his tracks. The Earth King glanced around suspiciously; he smelled pollen… no, _spores_.

Bon didn't get much of a chance to ask what the hell was up with him before Amaimon was viciously assaulted by a tan-skinned male. He sneered triumphantly, as the Earth King blocked his attack on instinct, "I knew you'd come!"

_Not this again._

Face to face with his fellow demon king, he registered the long curled horns atop his head along with his signature snowy hair. The King of Rot seemed overly excited at the sight of Amaimon, "You thought it'd be safe for you to come out of that precious school of yours? That clown of a brother you got doesn't scare me! I'll kill him, too!"

It was at this point that Suguro burst out into harsh insulting laughter, "Someone has self-confidence issues."

Astaroth's head snapped to the side as he broke away from Amaimon, his eyes narrowing on Ryuji, "you talking about me, Assiah brat?"

Bon's face became deadly serious, "You can't figure that out on your own?" He watched as the white-haired king's face darkened from twisted eagerness to scowling anger. "Gehenna scum," he added bravely, tilting his head up slightly.

Amaimon resisted the urge to slap his classmate. "_Why_ would you taunt him?!" he huffed between his teeth as he gripped the opposing demon's tail as he lunged for the human.

The King of Rot yelped at the pull of his tail and staggered back, only to whirl and smack Amaimon right in the face, earning a nasty crack upon impact.

The Earth King released his tail upon their departure and showed no sign of fighting back. He peered through the crimson blood that now decorated his face, his emerald gaze highlighted tenfold, threatening and impatient, "I don't have time for you."

The Rot King scoffed, "first you're not in the mood and now you don't have time?" He crossed his arms and gave the Earth King a mock-disappointed look, "if you're not going to fight me, I'll just have to tear up your _friend_." He stressed the last word, as if it were the worst insult.

Ryuji snorted, his stance changing to the offensive, "Come on and try it." Bright reddish orange flames rose across his shoulders and arms, dancing wildly, his fist clenched around a beaded charm.

It was the Astaroth's laughter heard this time, eerie and challenging, his long tongue slipping from his toothy grin, "you won't burn someone like me with a match as weak as that, kid!"

Without much other warning, he launched himself at Bon once again. The target tensed and readied himself, only to be waiting on nothing. Amaimon kneed the assailant to the face, repaying him for the earlier blow. He used such force, that the Rot King was hurled into the roller coaster nearby, taking down the 'G' in the words 'Go to Hell' displayed there.

Amaimon sighed and relaxed his position; _Mephisto is going to kill me for that…_ His bored expression returned as he turned to face Ryuji. As expected, the flaming male snarled in irritation, "Stop protecting me! I don't need your help!"

Amaimon's blank expression didn't change as he blinked once, "he could flick you, and you would die." His words lacked humor, he was very serious indeed. Demon Kings were no joke. No matter how well they managed to trick someone into thinking they were.

Suguro bristled, but before he could say anything, the obnoxiously loud yells of Astaroth sounded as he sprouted from the rubble, "Oh, so you'll attack me for the sake of your pet!? What a waste! Wait a century and he'll be nothing but dirt in this pitiful land!"

The Earth King tilted his head to Bon, "get away from here." It was more of a command than anything, and he presumed his classmate would be dissatisfied with the idea even if he said it nicely.

"No way! I'm not go-" he was cut off by the panicked cries of Shiemi who rushed over with her assigned partner, Konekomaru.

"Oh my goodness, are you guys alright?!" she shrieked, her hand flying to her mouth when she spotted Amaimon's bloody face. They must have heard the loud crash, the Demon King concluded. He immediately regretted making the noise, because suddenly, his opponent appeared as quick as a flash next to the blonde, scooping her up and laying sharp nails by her neck.

Everyone immediately froze so as not to tempt Astaroth to take any abrupt action. The Rot King smirked victoriously, his eyes on Amaimon alone, "Looks like I actually got your attention this time!"

The Earth King's eyes widened slightly as a flash of memory surged through his mind. This was just like that time… The time he had stolen that same blonde in order to lure Rin out to come and fight him. He flinched as the reminder of his past-self tore a hole into his heart. It hadn't even been that long since he had been that way. How could these people around him even stand to look at him?

"Well? Are you going to fight me, or are you just going to stand there and watch me tear her throat out?" Astaroth teased, flexing his fingers, causing Sheimi's innocent sage green eyes to widen with fright.

Amaimon inwardly shook himself; he wasn't that person anymore. He didn't fight because he was bored, or because he wanted to prove he was stronger. He glanced to the shaking Koneko and seething Suguro, then to the trembling Shiemi. He fought for them.

"Make it quick," Amaimon hissed, his serpent eyes narrowing, "or are you gonna hide behind that girl all day?"

A wide and very crooked smile spread like butter across the Rot King's face as he shoved Shiemi into Konekomaru's quivering arms. Without further ado, he practically pounced on Amaimon, his fist connecting with the Earth King's forearms positioned into a defensive X shape.

Astaroth snarled, throwing all his weight into his blows, but it was all for naught when Amaimon would counter them perfectly with his own strength. Now that he was actually trying, the Earth King found ease in deflecting, dodging, and practically dancing around his opponent's attacks. This quickly aggravated the King of Rot, making his strikes worsen in precision but double in strength.

A particular blow demanded Amaimon to bend backwards as a fist flew a few inches above his face. He was thankful to see, in his odd position, that all three of his classmates had put plenty space between themselves and the quarreling Demon Kings. Seeing as Amaimon was clearly more skilled, none of them felt the need to aide him.

It was when Amaimon gripped Astaroth's arm and lifted him over his shoulder, slamming his back into the ground, that the snowy-haired king's frustration hit fever-pitch. He rose from the mini-crater that had been created by the impact as the Earth King took a few cautionary steps backwards.

"I won't lose to a pansy like you!" the King of Rot hissed fiercely, red eyes ablaze, "you're a disgrace! A traitor! I would rather die than lose to such a weakling!"

Amaimon blinked slowly, realization dawning on him quite suddenly. "Just because I choose not to kill doesn't mean I'm weak," he began, his eyes gaining a soft understanding glimmer to them, "what's the point in killing everyone and destroying everything? Yeah, it's fun at the time but eventually, it gets _boring_."

"I don't need a lecture from you!" Astaroth spat, his body began to bulge as his muscles grew and his tail thickened. His horns coiled further as he shifted forms, his lower body that of a goat. His tail thrashed about as he let out a haunting howl, "I'll CRUSH you into the ground where you belong, Earth King!" He stood an intimidating eight feet high in this beastly skin, and now Amaimon knew he wouldn't be so easy to deal with. Not without changing himself. He quickly discarded the option. He couldn't guarantee the safety of his classmates if he were to do that. He could succumb to his demonic nature and kill them all for all he knew. And that would defeat the purpose of him trying to protect them in first place.

He cast a worried look to the trio looking awestruck and terrified by the monster before him. Well, except for Suguro; he just seemed pissed, like always.

Astaroth took a quaking step toward Amaimon, causing his attention to flicker back to his opponent just as he was readying to charge. The green-haired king bent his knees slightly, timing it right, so that when the demon-beast was just about to ram into him, he hopped gracefully over him. The skidding Rot King banged into the golden statue of Mephisto, snapping its legs off its pedestal.

Amaimon watched as the recently repaired idol crumbled to the ground. I'm_ so dead when I get back home…_ The Earth King thought in dismay.

**Author's Note:**

**I just had to add on to this Chapter. It was WAY too short. My apologies. Please review and thank you for previous reviews and support! It really means a lot! Hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Rot of the Earth

"Why hello there, my dear friend!" Angel greeted the Director a little louder than necessary. He grinned extravagantly as he stepped out of his flashy white vehicle.

Mephisto forced a smile, although it was rather overdone and slightly unsettling, he was surprised he'd even tried, "what a lovely _surprise._" Venom laced the last word, as if to subtly communicate his suspicions that the Paladin was merely here to scope out anything he was hiding from the Council.

The blonde picked up on this, his smile never faltering, "I just couldn't resist. Things have been _way_ too quiet lately…" He trailed off as he began to stretch, "would you be so kind as to escort me to where I'll be staying?"

_Of course_, Mephisto thought ruefully as his posture hunched slightly and his fake-as-hell smile vanished. _That would be where he would start looking; in the dragon's den itself._ He turned on his heels so Angel wouldn't see the scowl developing on his face, "Right this way." He hummed a sigh as he paced into the building, "I hope you don't mind stairs."

The Paladin laughed heartily, "a fit warrior like me? They don't stand a chance!"

The Director resisted the urge to gag as he continued on his way, hopping gracefully up staircase after staircase. When they reached the beautiful summit of the school where his mansion sat about a good ten minutes later, he was satisfied to see that Arthur seemed a little worn from the trip. He let a real smile curve his lip, baring his fangs slightly. It was expected. Things in Assiah have been oddly peaceful lately, and being at such a stature that Angel was, he was unneeded and thusly out of shape. "Here we are," he gestured with an arm to his grand abode.

The blonde huffed a disproving sound as he shook off his weariness, "This is it? Rather disappointing, isn't it? My palace is _much_ larger and more decorative."

"Yes, yes, go shove your flashy arrogance somewhere else," Mephisto replied impatiently as he unlocked the double doors with a flick of his wrist.

Angel snorted, "That's no way to speak to your superior, demon."

The Director said nothing and simply gestured for the Paladin to enter the mansion first. Angel did so without hesitation, his nose held high in such a way that screamed over-dignified.

Arthur liked to forget that Mephisto was indeed a Demon King, and one sitting near the top of the chain, at that. He was so blinded by his own ignorance that he easily fell for the illusion that the Director was weak.

It was Mephisto who protected this school, allowed it to grow and reach success; he could very well destroy it all if he chose to. However, he disliked destruction, he preferred to watch things bloom instead of wither. Unlike most of his counterparts, only excluding Amaimon, he strived to control the raw demonic urges that pressed violence and desolation. He had to admit, now that he thought about it, he was rather proud of his little brother for beginning to take an interest in life further than self-preservation. He was stepping away from the selfishness that was a demon. Constantly hungering for the next fight, the next kill, the next thing they felt they needed. It all came down to want. Demons had a very clear and very strong sense of what they wanted and how they could get it, which explained why Amaimon was so confused when his desires became unclear.

Even now, as Mephisto stood here, two-hundred years an Exorcist, he still felt the dull stirrings deep within his chest. It was a constant effort to keep such a composure, but it had become easier over the centuries. Although, it would never fade completely, he knew so. He was a demon, a son of Satan, and that would never change. Thusly, a worry creased his brow. Amaimon was only barely beginning to resist his nature, so mistakes were bound to occur. Mistakes that could ruin his chances here and expose the Director.

Shura was supposed to be watching him to ensure accidents like so wouldn't happen. So why did he feel like she wasn't doing her job?

He let an annoyed sound leave his nose suddenly, making Angel look away from the interior of the mansion to watch him. The blonde hid his awe with a scowl, "what's wrong with you? You look like you haven't slept in decades."

Mephisto smiled crookedly at him, "oh, are you worried about me? That's sweet of you."

The Paladin laughed loudly, "Not by a long shot. I just can't stand to see a Director of one of _my _schools look so poorly. It's embarrassing and disgraceful. Fix it right away."

Johann Faust refused to let himself succumb to any irritation, showing any ungentlemanly behavior was like letting Arthur win, and he couldn't have that, now could he? No matter how worried, how sleep-deprived, and how stressed he had been over the past few days; he would not lose to Angel.

He held a hand out to gesture to his mansion as a whole, "I'm sure you're eager to have a look around by your own means. You are welcome to, I have nothing to hide."

The main room was decorated with marble and Mephisto-pink carpets and curtains; it was elegant, yet still fun. He had a whole room dedicated to manga, a perfect library of every kind ever made. There were the plushies and other trinkets and merchandise that had to do with anime upon different shelves in every room. And then there was the food; not one thing in his fridge lacked the scent of Japanese culture on it.

He was shamelessly obsessed with the country, and he wasn't going to deny it.

The Paladin took his time looking through every room thoroughly, determined to find something amiss. Mephisto watched him with a bored expression, knowing he would fall short every time he thought he had dug something up.

The Director's worry tempted him to call Amaimon, or at least Shura, to make sure he was alright. Mephisto always had this way of simply _knowing_ something was up. His thoughts flickered to Astaroth, whom had given Amaimon trouble earlier. The Rot King would most likely take the opportunity to strike now the he was no longer under Mephisto's protection.

He refrained from sighing sharply. He couldn't call without arousing suspicions and he certainly couldn't leave the Paladin unattended to. He supposed he would just have to deal with it later. Amaimon could handle his own against Astaroth, but… What if he chose not to fight him like last time? What if he let himself get beaten worse than before?

Ugh, he hated worries, they were so pointless. They didn't help anything; in fact, they usually made things seem worse than they were.

"Oh, Mephistooooo!" Arthur called to the Director, successfully snapping him out of his thoughts. The blonde held up a red jacket that was torn and frayed, "I highly doubt you would wear something like this."

Mephisto recognized the garment, along with others that were splayed out in the corner, as Amaimon's. That's right; he was wearing a school uniform now. He mentally kicked himself, how had he missed such an important detail!? He blamed his lack of sleep.

"I'll have you know, I do a little something called Cosplay," the Director justified, not missing a beat.

Angel raised a blonde brow, believable, but he just had to push it, "would you be so kind as to dress up for me?"

Mephisto snorted, "I have to decline."

The Paladin's smile widened, "Now why would you do that? Unless you don't actually wear these kinds of clothes… which would imply that they belong to someone else… someone you're hiding, maybe?"

Johann pressed his mouth into a thin line, _damn it all._ He huffed and snapped his fingers, the clothes disappearing from the corner and Angel's hands with a poof of pinkish smoke, only to be found worn on Mephisto's shape. The clothes were a bit tight, Mephisto noticed, which made it all the more unpleasant. But, at least, now the Paladin was distracted.

Arthur flat out burst into laughter, tears forming in his eyes, "The bad boy look just isn't you!"

The Director stood ridged,_ calm down, Mephisto, he'll die someday… Just wait it out…_

-xxx-

Astaroth took grip of Amaimon's leg and threw him against the ground headfirst. _Man, this really sucks… _Was all the Earth King could think. Pain didn't bother him much, unless it was his tail or his demon heart. Or one of Mephisto's force fields. Holy hell, those were the worst.

"Could you please calm down?" Amaimon asked his raging counterpart, his expression bored although his face was covered in his own blood. He received nothing but angry growls from the Rot King. _Where is Okumura when you need him?_

At least Rin seemed to be able to control himself when he changed, for the most part. Amaimon didn't trust himself to do so, so he hoped, for once, that his little brother would come save the day.

But he didn't. Okumura was somehow nowhere to be found, even when Koneko went off to get help. So the past ten minutes consisted of Amaimon narrowly avoiding attacks, until Astaroth got lucky and grabbed him. It went all downhill from there because he wouldn't let go, he just threw the Earth King around like a ragdoll.

The King of Rot became irritated with Amaimon's casualty. "Stop treating me like such a WEAKLING!" he howled, flinging the King of Earth into a nearby concession stand on the last word.

Amaimon landed in an awkward way on his shoulders with his legs dangling above him and his body bent uncomfortably. "Then stop acting like one!" he hollered back, "Why do you want to beat me so badly!?"

The beast of a Demon King responded by charging at him, cracking the ground in his wake. The Earth King rolled over with and aggravated groan, but just as Astaroth closed in, Amaimon was up and gripping his horns, pressing him back into a halt. The Rot King snorted as he pushed harder, but it was futile, for the Earth King was indeed stronger.

Amaimon felt his hot breath against his face; the Rot King was expending his energy quickly in that form, and he was becoming weary. "You lack strength in a different way, Astaroth," the King of Earth began, "you're lost, like I was. You'll find your way some day."

The Rot King's effort increased, his hooves digging into the ground. "I'm not a child!" his gruff altered voice came. Amaimon never faltered, he never even budged, not until Astaroth's very horns broke off where the Earth King had been holding them.

The beastly Demon King yowled as he crashed into the ground, nearly squishing Amaimon as he went. Slowly, his demonic form faded, leaving very exhausted snow-haired Astaroth in its place.

"Amaimon!" called a feminine voice from behind. The Earth King turned to see Shura approaching along with Shima, Izumo, Konekomaru, and the Okamura brothers. Amaimon made a face, "_now_ everyone shows up?"

Shura pulled her Serpent Sword from her chest and made a swing for the Rot King. It never landed because Amaimon used a fingernail to stop her blade, "no, don't do that," he pleaded.

The redhead's face painted with confusion, "but he-"

"Has done nothing I haven't done before," he cut her off, "you can lock him up if you want, just don't kill him."

Shura made a 'humph' sound before lowering her weapon, "yeah, okay, but I'm not hiding him from the Council."

Amaimon felt relief flush within him, and when his eyes traveled down to Astaroth, he found his fellow Demon King staring wide-eyed up at him. It was only for a precious second, before scowling anger replaced it. "You don't have to project me from your humans! I can take-!" he shouted, only to fall short when he hacked up a mess of blood.

Shura smirked, a hand going to her hip, "big talker, huh?"

"Amaimon!" Shima practically squealed as he darted over to him, "Are you hurt? Are you okay? Oh my god, you're forehead is bleeding! Do you feel light-headed?" As he was frantically spewing out questions and statements, he was inspecting Amaimon, assessing the damage while his green-haired friend simply stood there with an amused expression plastered on his face.

"Shima, I'm fine. Relax," the Earth King reassured as he held Renzo by the shoulders.

"Oi!" Rin addressed Amaimon, approaching him casually. The King of Earth's gut tied itself into several knots of anxiety.

"I heard you saved Shiemi," Okamura continued, a smile spreading across his face, "thanks." He glanced at Astaroth, "and you took _him_ down, too!? Oh, man, you're awesome!"

An odd warmness exploded in Amaimon's heart, _I'm… awesome…?_ His lips curled up into a genuine smile, _hell yeah, I'm awesome!_

Rin patted his shoulder once before going to speak with Yukio. Shima seemed to notice Amaimon's shift in mood. "Awe, someone's starting to fit in!" he teased. The Earth King gave him a playful push (which actually ended up knocking him over) before going to Astaroth and scooping him up.

The Rot King tried to protest, but his struggles were weak. "Don't touch me! Put me down!" he hissed. He managed to take a claw at Amaimon's face, making a shallow few marks on his cheek. The Earth King ignored his cries and tried to coax him as a man holding a feral cat would.

"Can I go home now?" Amaimon asked Shura, patiently waiting for the demon in his arms to pass out from fatigue, which was bound to happen with all his pointless thrashing.

Shura pursed her lips and held out a finger, "about that…"

The Earth King raised a brow when she pointed to Shima as she continued, "you're going to have to stay with him for a few days. Mephisto's kinda got his hands full back at the mansion."

Amaimon blinked once.

Renzo seemed a bit surprised as well, but he nodded, "that's cool with me."

The King of Earth shrugged, "alright…" His voice was quiet and unsure, but at least now Mephisto could get some sleep without him around.

Shima wrapped an arm around Amaimon's shoulders, "don't worry! It'll be like a sleepover!"

Amaimon's head tilted to the side slightly in confusion, "what's that?"

-xxx-

It was late in the evening when Astaroth came to. His head was spinning and his arms and legs were restricted by chains holding him down to the bed he was lying on. He let out a pained groan that morphed into a frustrated cry when he realized where he was and what had happened.

He struggled against his bindings, but his body was still too weak to sum up much strength; in fact, he could hardly make his limbs move at all. So, he decided to let his fury out though his voice, "AMAIMON! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR IT! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

His throat ached from the strain he put into the words; they echoed throughout the dark hall full of cells which all seemed to be oddly vacant. He growled and struggled, but he gained no different results.

_Damn it all. _

He didn't even understand the Earth King, which made it all the worse. Why couldn't he have just killed him? Or let his petty humans do it for him? No, he had to _torture_ him. Leave him in captivity at the mercy of humans while watching him squirm to escape. He had to _degrade_ him first, reduce a King to a peasant.

Astaroth's thoughts dwindled at the soft sound of tiny feet scampering across the floor. He craned his neck to look through the bars. _Rats?_

Along came a rather chubby green hamster that had no problem maneuvering through the bars into Astaroth's cell. The Rot King raised a white brow as it sat promptly by his bed.

With a puff of smoke, Amaimon appeared in its place, squatting with his palms to the ground, "You called?"

"Bloody hell!" Astaroth squeaked in surprise, "you, again!? What do you want!?"

Amaimon resisted the urge to laugh at the Rot King's surprise, "I'm just here to check on you. Are you alright?"

Astaroth snorted, "Your human pets aren't here; you don't have to pretend you're concerned."

The Earth King blinked once, his eyes betraying innocence, "but I'm not pretending."

"I'm not sure that makes things better," the Rot King murmured unhappily.

"I think it does," Amaimon countered.

Astaroth turned his head away from his direction, "I'm not exactly thrilled to have a conversation with you."

"I understand."

"Then why are you still here?"

"I want to know if you're okay."

"I'm breathing, aren't I?" Astaroth spat between clenched teeth.

"That's not the kind of okay I'm talking about," answered Amaimon, his voice even.

The Rot King cocked an eyebrow at this, "what are you on about, then? Don't tell me you want me to talk about my feelings, or I _swear_ I _will_ hurt you."

Amaimon laughed at this, "You mean, more than you already have? No, just listen." When Astaroth gave no protest, he continued, "We're Demon Kings, extremely powerful with an incredible amount of time on our hands. We take what we want, because usually there's no one to stop us. We're victims to immortality, which means, eventually, we'll grow bored of the same kind of lifestyle. That's what happened to me, it's why I'm not out to kill everyone that seems stronger than I am."

"It's funny how you think I care," the Rot King huffed.

Amaimon ignored him. He needed to say this; he somehow had a strong desire to reach out to Astaroth no matter how rude or ungrateful he seemed to be. He saw himself in him, and he knew there was a small glimmer somewhere in the blackness. "You pursue me because you want to prove you're better, right? To prove you're stronger? Say you beat me, then what? There will still be someone out there stronger than you. You can't change that."

Amaimon sat in the dark for awhile, waiting for some sort of response from his fellow Demon King. When none came, he let a disappointed sigh leave his lips. With another poof, he scurried away as a hamster, the pit-pat of his paws fading down the hall.

Astaroth bit his lip sullenly, _it doesn't matter what you say to me, I'm not like you. Never will be._

**Author's Note:**

**I don't know about you guys, but I'm actually growing fond of Astaroth and his sassy attitude. He's sort of loveable… sort of… Anyway, hope you enjoyed and reviews welcome! Thank you guys for previous reviews and support! Please forgive any mistakes there might be, I'll be sure to fix them if I find them.**


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